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Chef Andrew McConnell and specialist butcher, Troy Wheeler worked together over a number of years prior to teaming up. Early on they recognised a shared passion for quality, provenance and the art of real butchery. For Troy, being a butcher isn’t about getting on the phone to a supplier. It’s about real relationships with people who value the same things that you do. The pair’s butcher shop, Meatsmith was designed to showcase premium quality, ethically-reared meat of local provenance. The service would be next-level, and the duo would redefine Melbourne’s idea of specialty retail butchery. To do justice to Troy and Andrew’s vision, we created an identity that is aligned with their philosophy and communicates a real sense of commitment and dedication to their craft.

Visually inspired by the landscapes of beef farms that we visited in east Gippsland, we wanted to pay respect to the heritage of the trade without veering into the usual clichéd butcher’s shop vernacular (no heavy type, no cute cows, and definitely no knives). After all, this was no typical butcher’s shop.

Our friends Herbert & Mason transformed the space into an intelligent, contemporary interpretation of the genre, inspired by classic European examples. With marble, timber and brass finishes, the shop was designed to promote conversation and invite visitors to stay a little longer.

The result is an inspiring, approachable and exceptionally good-looking space that has taught us some new tricks and changed the way we feel about buying meat.

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Aerial photography by Tom Blachford

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Signage by ex-Round, Ryan Ward of United Measures

“We created an identity that is aligned with their philosophy and communicates a real sense of commitment and dedication to their craft.”